When we enter sisters Amy and Jennifer Khoshbins’ exhibition space, or the “sunport”, we are asked to relinquish our phones and shoes, allowing our once shielded senses to experience the full breadth of their lively sculptures, installations, and performances in their show “Sun Seekers”. The gallery space was cultivated with light and airiness, the work itself divided into four sections, or “portals”, representing different aspects of childhood play, building a church for sun worshipers.
This space is a response to the world’s concerning influx of inert spirits, a result of the quarantine period during covid, persisted by codependent relationships with our “wreck-tangles”, our phones. The sisters seek to promote what is now critical soul-reconciliation through mindfulness of the senses, inviting participants to feel, sit in, lay on, sway in, and even wear their work. We can experience unbridled joy in the visuals alone: velvet, felt, sequins, all found in fully saturated warm hues, joined by more naturally found shades of leaf-green and teal. A plushy vulva-inspired daybed clad in vibrant pinks, reds, and deep purple emanates the sweet smell of flowers, tempting participants into a nap. In the far corner, weighted cloaks suspend from the ceiling, with room for up to three participants to pop their head out from under at a time. Over in the fourth portal, a large rug shows imagery of flowers, leaves, and snakes. This scene immediately connects us back to “playtime”, opposing the loneliness of our computer-based lifestyles and reintroducing our bodies to our younger minds. Recalling a time of isolation, where we were reluctant to interact with others in the revealingly conflict-riddled world around us, we find solace in the Khoshbin sisters’ playroom.
-Maggie
One thing I might edit, would be to separate your information into paragraphs. The description at the beginning is very strong, but maybe should be separated from what the space represents (childhood and the response to covid)
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ReplyDeleteI am grateful that someone has written about this exhibition. This exhibit is for all ages. Those who visit can jump up and down on the installation like a child, returning to their childhood curiosity about toy facilities and games; or just quietly meditating in a plush chair, abandoning their dependence on the virtual world. The simple device brings the simplest happiness and joy. As mentioned at the end of the article this exhibition is a gift from the artist to all visitors, a gift of solace. The review is again very detailed in describing the background of the artist and the specific content of the exhibition as if taking me back to the moment of playing in the exhibition. The only thing I would like to mention is that this huge amount of information may be a bit confusing for readers who have not seen the exhibition, and perhaps it would be helpful to organize and segment the information.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Moira that information should be separated into paragraphs to provide a clear conclusion. Additionally, it may have been worthwhile to mention that we were invited to take off our shoes, which is taboo for a gallery. However, I greatly appreciate your description and the persistent reference to their themes of swaying away from technology and our phones. I especially find your last sentence very relatable, especially during the height of COVID. As we were isolated and told not to touch objects due to the fears of viruses and infections, it was certainly refreshing being able to interact with the Khoshbin sister's work.
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